This invention relates to methods and apparatus for minimally invasive valve repair and more particularly to minimally invasive methods and apparatus for reducing the valve orifice.
Valve repair is currentently done in open surgical procedures as described, for example, by F. Maisano, et al. in their article entitled “The double-orifice technique as a standardized approach to treat mitral regurgitation due to severe myxomatous disease” which appeared in European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Vol. 17 (2000) 201-205. Cumbersome suture management, knot tying pain and long recovery time are inherent to such open surgical procedures. It now goes without saying that minimally invasive surgery is the preferred procedure, having allowed surgeons to perform procedures with less pain and disability than open surgical procedures. Tissue-connector apparatus and methods usable in such minimally invasive surgery procedures have recently been disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/089,884, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,541, and 09/090,305, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,593, both filed Jun. 3, 1998 and Ser. Nos. 09/259,705, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,265, and 09/260,623, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,059, both filed Mar. 1, 2000.
It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide improved minimally invasive methods and apparatus for coaptation of leaflets in the case of regurgitation to reduce the annular orifice.
It is a more specific object of this invention to provide such improved minimally invasive methods and apparatus using a tissue-connector apparatus disclosed in aforementioned U.S. patent applications.